Please Note: We encourage all photographers to read and follow the principles below.
Member of the Nature First Alliance
Canadian Outdoor Photography supports and advocates for ethical nature photography and has joined the Nature First Alliance. We encourage our fellow photographers to familiarize themselves with these principles and put them in practice. You can also join the Nature First Alliance and there is no cost for doing so.
Educate yourself about the places you photograph
Nature First is built on a set of core principles that help communicate how each of us can enjoy nature photography responsibly. The Nature First Principles were developed to help educate and guide both professional and recreational photographers in sustainable, minimal-impact practices that will help preserve nature’s beautiful locations. There is also a version of the principles adapted to wildlife. Please also read the in-depth article providing more details and practical examples of their application from our contributor Hubert Cormier.
THE NATURE FIRST PRINCIPLES
Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography
We are guests in wild places, which are home to unique natural features, as well as diverse and delicate ecosystems. We, therefore, should tread lightly and never cause harm to the natural world in our pursuit of photography. Instead, we should minimize our impact to the greatest degree possible to preserve and protect these places we love.
Educate yourself about the places you photograph
Different landscapes require different kinds of stewardship practices, so to best care for these places, we need to be knowledgeable about them. For example, while walking cross-country in some places (like those covered in snow, for example) will cause no harm, walking cross-country in other areas could significantly damage an ecosystem (for example, cryptobiotic soils in deserts, or slow-growing mosses in less arid places). Knowledge about the environments we photograph is essential to effective stewardship.
Reflect on the possible impact of your actions
Seemingly innocuous actions may have significant consequences. For example, it might not seem like a big deal to set up a tent next to a lake or in a field of wildflowers for a photo, but such activities can have a cascade of negative effects. Other visitors will do the same, eventually eroding riparian areas that are necessary habitats for wildlife, or permanently eliminating the ability of vegetation to grow in heavily trafficked areas. Not only do these actions scar the landscape and affect wildlife, but it is increasingly causing land managers to further restrict photographers’ access to these places as a result.
Use discretion if sharing locations
Also, consider how your behavior affects the experience of other users of natural places. Even if a photographer does not cause damage to a place, s/he may still ruin the experience of others (for example, using drones around others, leading noisy groups, and light painting). Taking time to reflect on potential consequences before photographing or posting a photo online can help avoid these issues.
Use discretion if sharing locations
Know and follow rules and regulations
Sharing location information can have significant consequences for that location. As soon as a place is determined to be photogenic, it becomes a magnet for photographers and the general public. Many natural places simply cannot survive a significant increase in visitation. Keeping natural areas off the radar is the best way to protect them. If you decide to share information, only share the locations of well-known places or areas that are unlikely to be damaged by increased visitation. Respect other photographers who have made a choice not to share location information. Finally, consider not posting photos of sensitive areas online, even if you do not mention the specific location. Simply posting a photograph may create a desire for photographers to visit that area and people can often figure out where the photo was taken even if you do not disclose it.
Some areas can also be seasonally sensitive such as wildflower fields and fall color forests. Consider a ‘thoughtful pause’ of a week or more before posting your images to reduce the impact of real-time trending and potentially harmful footprints of people who may want to immediately follow you to these locations.
Know and follow rules and regulations.
It might be tempting to hop over a fence and venture into a closed area for a photo. These actions, however, can have a snowball effect with negative consequences for both the land and others in the photography community. Many photographers assume that they are the only person doing these things and thus the impact will be minimal. At the same time, other photographers think that since others have visited a particular spot, it is fine for them to do it as well. The result is often continual damage to areas the rules were designed to protect, a loss of our integrity as stewards of the natural world, and an increase in the likelihood of further restrictions on the nature photography community.
Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them
Leave No Trace is a widely recognized set of principles for outdoor stewardship. Nature photographers, like all those who recreate in the outdoors, should adhere to these principles. Follow the link to find more details on the Leave No Trace 7 Principles. You can take Leave No Trace a step further by striving to leave a place better than you found it by practicing these principles and doing simple things like picking up litter and reporting vandalism
Actively promote and educate others about these principles
Regardless of the size of your audience, you can teach others about these principles and encourage their adoption. When you share your photos or stories about your travels, you can influence others to be good stewards of our public lands, thus amplifying these messages. If you are comfortable playing an advocacy role, use whatever platform you have to speak out about these issues and find appropriate ways to discourage actions that are in opposition to these principles. Bad behavior by photographers reflects poorly on the rest of us.
photo by David Lilly
photo by Hubert Cormier - Contributor
photo by Jason Chetwynd - Contributor
